Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg and Mexico referred the case of violations of women's rights in Afghanistan to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The six countries called on the ICC prosecutor to address the ongoing and systematic violations of the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday (November 28) that "due to the deterioration of the situation and the critical situation of Afghan women and girls, the situation in the country has been referred to the International Criminal Court".
The ICC prosecutor has resumed investigations into Afghanistan in 2022. Previously, the investigation into Afghanistan was halted in 2020 at the request of Afghan authorities.
The signatories of the petition called on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to pay attention to the situation in Afghanistan, and in particular, the situation of Afghan women and girls, who face continuous and systematic violations of their rights.
The six countries have asked the ICC prosecutor to consider crimes committed against women and girls since the Taliban came to power in 2021 in its investigation.
The referral of this case to the Hague Court shows that the international community is deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Calling on the ICC prosecutor to pay attention to the systematic and ongoing violations of the rights of Afghan women and girls could increase political and diplomatic pressure on the Taliban. This is especially true if the ICC's investigation is concluded and evidence of crimes against Afghan women and girls is found. Such an investigation could lead to international condemnation and even more sanctions.
One of the consequences of this action is the possibility of prosecution of Taliban leaders and other officials responsible for human rights violations. If the Hague Court decides to prosecute, serious charges such as war crimes and crimes against humanity will be brought against Taliban officials. This could affect the personal security of Taliban leaders and lead to their further international isolation.
